New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers hoped he would get a shot at revenge against the Green Bay Packers. While his 2023 season didn’t unfold how he wanted, Rodgers is poised to have a shot at redemption as early as 2024.
Rodgers, who is still attempting to return from the torn Achilles he suffered in Week 1, wants to make NFL history by becoming the first player to return from an Achilles tear in the same season he suffered the injury. While New York might leave the decision of returning up to the four-time NFL MVP, there is potentially a significant reason for Rodgers to play things safe and return next season.
- Aaron Rodgers career stats: 59,055 passing yards, 475 passing touchdowns, 65.3 percent completion rate, 103.6 QB rating, 7.7 yards per attempt
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Rodgers is tentatively on track to face the Packers next season in Lambeau Field based on the current set-up regarding NFL scheduling. It would immediately be a coveted game for a primetime slot, with ESPN (Monday Night Football), NBC (Sunday Night Football), Amazon (Thursday Night Football), FOX and CBS all vying for the potential matchup.
The Jets’ 2024 schedule requires them to play a road game against the NFC North team that finishes in the same place in its division as New York. Entering NFL games today, New York and Green Bay are both third in their respective divisions.
It would make the storyline eerily reminiscent of what happened with Brett Favre. A year after being traded to New York and spending a season with the Jets, Favre made his first return to Lambeau Field as a visitor in 2009. While that happened in a Vikings’ uniform, the rematch one year after Green Bay cut ties with its future Hall of Fame quarterback
If Rodgers returns in 2023, he’d be playing as a 39-year-old quarterback behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. It would put him at a much higher risk of suffering a severe injury, with Rodgers’ movement in the pocket limited post-Achilles surgery.
A setback or re-injury could jeopardize Rodgers’ availability in 2024 and take away a chance for him to experience a so-called revenge game against the Packers. Plus, facing his former team would allow Rodgers the chance to become the fifth quarterback in NFL history (Favre, Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning) to beat all 32 teams.